Flint injection apparatus

ABSTRACT

A flint injection apparatus is provided for use with a lighter which utilizes a flint and a flint wheel for ignition. A spring biased plunger is carried in a casing. A trigger having an external portion and a portion slidably carried in an adjacent trigger casing is operatively associated with the plunger. A plurality of flints carried in an adjacent casing will pass, one at a time, through an opening into the plunger casing when the trigger is despressed and the lighter is properly oriented, permitting flints to be easily and rapidly changed.

United States Patent 1 Rowlett FLINT INJECTION APPARATUS PrimaryExaminer-Carroll B. Dority, Jr. 761 t.Vil.Rlt .R. 1 nven or a o ow e RDeputy Attorney-Verne A. Trask et al.

[22] Filed: Dec. 2 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 204,087 A flintinjection apparatus is provided for use with a lighter which utilizes aflint and a flint wheel for igni- 52 vs. C] ..431/124, 431/276 A lb'ased Plunge calmed a A trigger having an external portion and aportlon [51] Int. Cl ..F23q 2/38 [58] Field is r h 431/276 124 slidablycarried in an ad acent trigger casing 18 opera- 0 ea c tively associatedwith the plunger. A plurality of flints carried in an adjacent casingwill pass, one at a time, [56] References Cited through an opening intothe plunger casing when the FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS trigger isdespressed and the lighter is properly oriented, permitting flints to beeasily and rapidly 958,618 9/1949 France ..43l/l24 changed, 278,6832/1952 Switzerland ..43l/276 244,910 5/ 1947 Switzerland ..43 1/124 7Claims, 5 Drawing Figures I I8 j a i g 3? 3 a 4 Apr. 17, 1973 FLINTINJECTION APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relatesto a flint injection apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus foreasily and rapidly injecting a flint into operative position in alighter which utilizes a flint and flint wheel for ignition.

Lighters which utilize a flint and flint wheel to produce an ignitionspark are well known. Such lighters, which are frequently referred to ascigarette lighters, normally have a fluid-impregnated wick extendingfrom the body of the lighter. Closely adjacent to the wick is a flintwheel which contacts a flint. The flint may be held in operativeassociation with the flint wheel by a spring which extends through thebody of the lighter. When the abrasive flint wheel is caused to rotate,contact between the wheel and the flint causes a spark which ignites thewick. The flint is eventually worn away, thus decreasing in size, bycontinued use. Commonly, the spring holding the flint may be removed, asby removing a threaded cap on the bottom of the lighter, and a new flintmay then be inserted and the spring replaced. This procedure is somewhattime consuming and often less simple than it would appear.

Various proposals have been suggested for lighters which will carryadditional or spare flints therein or in an attached magazine. Examplesof lighters having flint storage means may be found in U. S. Pat. Nos.2,454,501; 2,536,855; 2,729,959; 2,737,796 and 2,825,216.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an improved flintinjection apparatus which is capable of storing a plurality of flintswithin a casing in the lighter and which permits flints to be quicklyand easily changed by merely pressing a trigger and properly orientingthe lighter.

Pressing the external portion of the trigger causes an associatedplunger to be depressed or lowered in its casing. By lowering theplunger to the full extent permitted, an opening between the flintmagazine or casing and the plunger casing is freed of obstruction. Bymoving the lighter into a position so that longitudinal axis of theflint casing is essentially vertically above that of the plunger casing,a flint will fall through the opening into the plunger casing above theplunger. When the trigger is released, biasing means in the plungercasing urges the plunger and the flint upwardly to maintain the flint inoperative association with the flint wheel.

The lower end of the plunger casing and the flint casing are closed by acap which is threadedly engaged in the plunger casing. A removed segmentor recess provided in the cap may be aligned with the flint casing byloosening the cap, thereby providing access to insert or load the flintcasing without removing the cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention as illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lighter embodying this invention witha portion broken away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the injection apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates the lighter shown in FIG. 1, but in a generallyhorizontal spatial orientation; and FIG. 5 is an end view of the closurecap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, a lighter 10 has a flint wheel 12 whichis in operative association with a flint 14. Abrasion between the flintwheel 12, when rotated, and flint 14 causes a spark which will ignite afluid-impregnated wick. Portions of the lighter are shown broken away toillustrate the position and operation of the flint injection apparatusof this invention.

A plunger casing 18 has an open upper end 20 and a threaded, open lowerend 22. (See FIG. 2). The lower end 22 is closed by a cap 24 threadedlyreceived therein. A biasing means, such as spring 26, is carried incasing 18 between cap 24 and a plunger 28. Spring 26 biases plunger 28toward the upper end 20 of plunger casing 18. Plunger 28 has an uppersurface 30. In the operative position, spring 26 urges plunger 28upwardly in casing 18 to hold a flint 14 between the upper surface 30 ofthe plunger and the flint wheel 12.

A trigger casing 34 and a flint casing 36 are provided adjacent andparallel to plunger casing 18. Trigger casing 34 has a bottom 35. Flintcasing 36 is of sufficient length to slidably carry a plurality offlints therein, and is open at its bottom or lower end 37. A first slot40 in plunger casing 18 adajacent its upper endv provides an openingbetween the plunger casing and trigger casing 34. A second slot 42 inplunger casing 18 adjacent its upper end provides an opening between theplunger casing and flint casing 36.

A trigger means 44 slidably carried in trigger casing 34 and has aportion 46 extending externally thereof. Trigger means 44 has a fingerportion 48 which projects through slot 40 and into engagement with anopening 50 provided in plunger 28. Thus the application of pressure tothe external portion 46 of trigger means 44 causes plunger 28 to belowered or depressed within plunger casing 22 against the opposition ofspring 26. The sizes of trigger means 44, trigger casing 34, slot 40 andplunger 28, and the strength of spring 26 are such that plunger 28 maybe lowered to the extent that its upper surface 30 is just slightlybelow the lower end of slot 42. Slot 42 is dimensioned so as to permit aflint 14 to pass therethrough.

As previously noted, a cap 24 closes the lower end of plunger casing 22.Cap 24 is of such size that when fully threaded into casing 22, aportion of cap 24 will also close the lower end 37 of flint casing 36.Cap 24 has a slot 52 which will receive a coin or a screwdriver topermit tightening or loosening of the cap. Cap 24 also has a removedsegment or recess 54 which is as large as the lower open end 37 of flintcasing 36. Thus by loosening cap 24 slightly, the recess 54 may bealigned with the open lower end of flint casing 36, thereby permittingflints to be inserted therein without the necessity of removing the cap.

When a change of flints is desired, the lighter may be tilted generallyin the position illustrated in FIG. 1. By applying pressure to theexternal portion 46 of the trigger means, plunger 28 is depressed withinplunger casing 22. Any unused portion of the flint then in operativeposition will then be free of the pressure which held it against theflint wheel 12 and will be readily expelled. In this position, theflints 14 in flint chamber 36 slide toward the upper end thereof and oneof the flints stop adjacent to slot 42. When the lighter is moved to agenerally horizontal position as illustrated in FIG. 4, depression ofthe trigger will clear the opening between plunger casing 22 and flintcasing 36 and permit a flint 14 to fall through slot 42 and into theplunger casing 22. In this position, the longitudinal axis of the flintcasing will be essentially vertically above the longitudinal axis of theplunger casing.

When the trigger is released, spring 26 will push plunger 28 upwardly inplunger casing 22. The new flint which passed through slot 42 is carriedalong on the upper surface 30 and comes to rest in an operative positionagainst flint wheel 12. As the flint 14 decreases in size through use,spring 26 continues to cause it to be urged upwardly to maintain theflint and flint wheel in operative association.

I claim:

1. In a lighter wherein a flint and flint wheel are used for ignition, aflint injection apparatus comprising a plunger casing, a plunger carriedin said plunger casing, biasing means carried in said plunger casing andbiasing said plunger toward the upper end of said casing, a triggercasing adjacent to said plunger casing, a flint casing adjacent to saidplunger casing and adapted to carry a plurality of flints therein, afirst slot in said plunger casing adjacent its upper end and providingan opening between said plunger casing and said trigger casing, a secondslot in said plunger casing adjacent its upper end and providing anopening between said plunger casing and said flint casing, trigger meansslidably carried in said trigger casing and having a portion extendingexternally thereof and a portion projecting through said first slot andoperatively engaging said plunger, said second slot being adapted topermit a flint to pass therethrough when said plunger is depressed and aflint in said flint casing is in a position to drop through said secondslot.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said biasing means urgessaid plunger upwardly in said plunger casing to hold a flint inoperative position between the upper surface of said plunger and theflint wheel.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said trigger means has afinger portion projecting through said first slot which engages anopening provided in said plunger.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said plunger casing,trigger casing, and flint casing are parallel to one another.

5. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said trigger means, saidfirst slot, and said biasing means coact to permit said plunger to bedepressed to such a depth in said plunger casing so that at any one timeonly a single flint may be passed through said second slot and heldbetween said plunger and the flint wheel.

6. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said plunger casing andsaid flint casing are closed at their lower ends by a cap threadedlyengaging said plunger casing.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein said cap has a recesstherein which will be aligned with the lower end of said flint casingwhen said cap is partially loosened.

1. In a lighter wherein a flint and flint wheel are used for ignition, aflint injection apparatus comprising a plunger casing, a plunger carriedin said plunger casing, biasing means carried in said plunger casing andbiasing said plunger toward the upper end of said casing, a triggercasing adjacent to said plunger casing, a flint casing adjacent to saidplunger casing and adapted to carry a plurality of flints therein, afirst slot in said plunger casing adjacent its upper end and providingan opening between said plunger casing and said trigger casing, a secondslot in said plunger casing adjacent its upper end and providing anopening between said plunger casing and said flint casing, trigger meansslidably carried in said trigger casing and having a portion extendingexternally thereof and a portion projecting through said first slot andoperatively engaging said plunger, said second slot being adapted topermit a flint to pass therethrough when said plunger is depressed and aflint in said flint casing is in a position to drop through said secondslot.
 2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said biasing meansurges said plunger upwardly in said plunger casing to hold a flint inoperative position between the upper surface of said plunger and theflint wheel.
 3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said triggermeans has a finger portion projecting through said first slot whichengages an opening provided in said plunger.
 4. The invention set forthin claim 1 wherein said plunger casing, trigger casing, and flint casingare parallel to one another.
 5. The invention set forth in claim 1wherein said trigger means, said first slot, and said biasing meanscoact to permit said plunger to be depressed to such a depth in saidplunger casing so that at any one time only a single flint may be passedthrough said second slot and held between said plunger and the flintwheel.
 6. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said plunger casingand said flint casing are closed at their lower ends by a cap threadedlyengaging said plunger casing.
 7. The invention set forth in claim 6wherein said cap has a recess therein which will be aligned with thelower end of said flint casing when said cap is partially loosened.